Do Books

Do work you love. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But the reality can be quite different. Whether you're just starting out or simply ready to head in a new direction, you're going to need some help turning your natural skills into success-seeking missiles of radness. On hand is Gavin Strange, a creative working by night under the name of JamFactory and by day at Aardman Animations - the Academy Award-winning studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

When you get the right balance in life, you can do amazing things: create, perform, lead a team, build a great company, raise a family. But so often the scales tip, and we feel overwhelmed and stressed. Michael Townsend Williams, an adman turned yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, is an advocate of 'welldoing' - leading a busy and productive life, but not at the expense of our health and well-being. And key to this? Our breath.

The most important brands in the world make us feel something. They do that because they have something they want to change. And as customers, we want to be part of that change. These companies have a reason to exist over and above making a profit: they have a purpose. Yes, we love the product they make. But the thing we love most about them is the change they are making.

So much passes us by unnoticed. We multitask, switch between screens, work faster. When was the last time you paused to consider a beautifully made object or stunning natural landscape? Yet this is when our spirits lift and our soul is restored. Designer Alan Moore invites us to rethink not only what we produce - whether it's a website, a handmade chair, or a business - but how and why.

Real-world leadership is very different from all that the media would have us believe. Forget the dashing swashbuckler - effective leadership is typically understated. It's the myriad small things that make the big things possible. In Do Lead, Les McKeown demolishes the myths that have paralysed leadership in our modern era, then provides new, relevant tools for the job. You'll discover that we can all lead. And what's more, we should.

How do you grow your business when you don't have a marketing budget? How do you stand out in a busy world? And what if the answer is right in front of you? 'For me, the newsletter is the most important tool I have in building a global denim brand. Second only to the sewing machine.' So writes entrepreneur David Hieatt, who has based his entire marketing strategy around a simple email newsletter. And it's worked. His company has grown into a creative global jeans business with a fiercely loyal community.

Today's world wants to know you and the real story behind why you do what you do. Whether you have a product to sell, a company mission to share or an audience to entertain, people are far more likely to engage if you deliver a well-crafted story with an emotional core. Bobette Buster is a story consultant, lecturer and screenwriter who works with major studios and in top film programmes all over the world. She shares the tools used by some of the world's best storytellers and helps you apply them to your own.

This book is about disruption. About doing things differently. About having ideas that will change the world. That will at least change your world. It's also about delivering those ideas. Do Disrupt is a workbook that will help you create or refine your business idea and take it from concept to market. It will encourage you to define your customer, identify the competition...and then outsmart them. You'll also find out why you need a chat with your Nan and a tape measure. If you're starting a new business or you're the rebel inside, it's not enough to shake things gently.

Why is it that we seem astonished, even grateful, when someone really hears us? When they lean in and give us their time and attention. How has this basic act become such a rare commodity? Has the one-way street of social media 'broadcasting' really marked the end of conversation and listening? Do Listen is about rediscovering the lost art of listening. How to form deeper connections, generate moments of wonder, and achieve breakthroughs after a standoff or stalemate. Yes, listening can take time. And it can be uncomfortable. Yet it is a skill that can be cultivated and mastered.

Scaling up is something most founders aspire to, especially once the tricky start-up phase has been navigated. It can increase your reach and futureproof your business. But how do you 'scale'? And how does it differ from 'flipping' for a quick profit or slower organic growth?Les McKeown advises industry leaders on how to achieve scalable, sustainable growth. In Do Scale, he draws from his decades of experience to provide a clear understanding of what's involved, and the strategies needed to take your business (or not-for-profit) to the next level. 

Machines are designed to run constantly; people aren't. Our coping mechanisms are meditation apps, weekend breaks and annual holidays, but things soon revert. To prosper, we need a more sustainable approach - an ability to pause. Do Pause looks at the importance of this subtle yet powerful idea to communication, creativity, relationships - as well as our well-being and sanity. 

Vocal leader James Sills believes that group singing has the power to change lives. It is a joyful expression of our humanity that gives us purpose, encourages us to be fully present, and helps us to foster social bonds. In Do Sing, James invites us to look back on our singing journey. Was there a time when you stopped singing or were told you couldn't sing? Do certain songs trigger happy memories?

Having spent over a decade on the frontlines of climate activism - organising, campaigning, and holding the powerful to account - Tamsin Omond discovered first-hand that this crisis is too big for one group of activists to solve. It needs everyone. Do Earth is about collective action and community engagement. It's about healing our relationships with nature, each other and ourselves, and feeling inspired about what the next phase of human evolution might be. 

This audiobook is about working with other people. It's about making that experience a positive one. It's about how a happy, engaged and motivated team becomes an unstoppable force. In Do Team, entrepreneur Charlie Gladstone draws on three decades of experience as an employer of over 100 people and father of six, to share practical, honest and insightful advice.